The food for love

Last Saturday, America’s most famous yet fictional career woman finally tied the knot. The 40-ish Cathy of comic-strip fame said "yes" to longtime beau Irving and hopefully they will live happily ever after.

Cathy Guisewite, Cathy’s creator and alter ego, set the wedding date just days before Valentine’s Day.

This year, the most romantic day on the calendar falls on a Monday, which gives chefs and restaurant owners a chance to do business on a day when they are usually closed.

Still, there are those of us, myself included, who rarely dine out on Valentine’s Day. My husband Edward and I prepare a romantic dinner filled with the foods of love. Oysters, exotic mushrooms, asparagus, champagne and chocolate are usually on the menu.

I don’t know how certain foods became known as aphrodisiacs, but oysters are just sexy. You don’t even need a cocktail fork to eat them. Just pick one up and slide it into your mouth. And don’t forget the mignonette sauce.

Certain entr�es are more romantic than others. Lobster is a definite, as is rack of lamb for two. A big juicy steak does not strike me as Valentine’s Day fare. Neither does a large roast or chicken. But, chicken breasts saut�ed with heady exotic mushrooms and finished in champagne just might prompt a gentleman to pop the question.

In honor of Cathy’s and Irving’s wedding, here are recipes for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner for two. Serve champagne with the oysters and asparagus, and a rich cabernet sauvignon, chianti or sangiovese with the lamb. We usually have chocolate truffles for dessert. Last year, Edward brought home a rich all-butter pound cake shaped like a heart and beautifully decorated. I still popped a couple of truffles.

If you plan to serve a chocolate dessert, a sip of cognac or brandy is best. Chocolate coats the tongue and will ruin the delicacy of champagne. Enjoy!

Oysters with Mignonette Sauce

Ingredients:

12 large oysters of your choice, such as Blue Point
1 small shallot, finely minced
Red wine vinegar

Directions:

If you are able to easily open oysters, do so as soon as the dinner hour begins. If you are like me, you have your fishmonger open them for you. Tell him to reserve the liqueur from the oysters.

Prepare two pretty round platters. If you have oyster plates, use them. Make a bed of crushed ice for each platter. Place six oysters on each of two plates.

Whisk together the minced shallot and red wine vinegar, to taste. Using a small spoon, such as a demitasse, carefully top each oyster with the sauce.

Serves two.

Cold Asparagus
with Sauce Gribiche

Ingredients:

12 spears of asparagus
1 hard-boiled egg
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 or 2 sprigs of Italian parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
1 small sprig of fresh tarragon

Directions:

Place the asparagus in a frying pan. Cover with cold water. Set the pan on high heat and cook for a few minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Test for doneness using a fork or knife. Drain asparagus immediately and run cold water over them. Drain well. Wrap the asparagus in a clean dishtowel and place in the refrigerator.

To make the sauce, chop the hard-boiled egg white separately from the yolk. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and remaining ingredients. The sauce will have the texture of thin mayonnaise. Add the egg white, blend well and store in the refrigerator.

Place six asparagus spears on two chilled plates. Top with sauce gribiche and serve.

Serves two.

Roast Rack of Lamb

Ingredients:

1 whole rack of New Zealand lamb
Dijon mustard
Champagne
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions:

Ask your butcher to remove the chine bone from the rack of lamb. If you like the bones frenched, ask him to do it. This means all the meat and bit of fat on the bones are removed. I don’t like to have my lamb bones frenched but this is a matter of personal taste.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Bring the lamb to room temperature. Place a tablespoon or 2 of Dijon mustard in a bowl. Add enough champagne to thin it a little. Add the kosher salt and pepper and blend well.

Place the rack of lamb in a shallow baking dish. Using a spatula, smear the mustard/champagne mixture over the lamb. Using a small spoon, press on the chopped Italian parsley leaves.

Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 10 minutes for rare lamb. If you like your lamb pink, roast five minutes more or check for doneness, depending on the thickness of the lamb chops.

Carve the lamb between the bones; an electric knife works best.

Serves two.

Saut� of Exotic Mushrooms

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sweet butter
1 pound exotic mixed mushrooms such as shiitake, porcini, cremini and portabello, wiped clean with damp paper towels and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dry red wine such as cabernet sauvignon, chianti or sangiovese

Directions:

Heat the butter on medium-high in a large saut� pan. Add the mushrooms and saut� just until they turn color and the mushrooms have given up their liquid. This takes about five to 10 minutes. Add kosher salt and pepper and saut� again.

While you are cooking the mushrooms, warm a pretty bowl in the microwave. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Place them in the warm bowl. Raise the heat and add about 1 cup of red wine. You may wish to add another tablespoon of butter for richness. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over the mushrooms.

Serves two.